Standing alongside his wife Kate, a beaming Lawrence Gonzi was yesterday sworn in as Prime Minister, pledging to work until his "last drop of energy" to see the country move forward.

President Eddie Fenech Adami, who had handed Dr Gonzi the reins of the country in 2004, smiled as he took the oath of office at the Palace, Valletta, at 4.40 p.m. after the electorate voted him in as Prime Minister for the first time.

"The moment a Prime Minister is sworn in is the moment he shoulders the responsibility of the country's future; a moment where the country unites so that we can forge ahead," he said.

Looking visibly emotional, Dr Gonzi said being Prime Minister was a huge responsibility he had to shoulder. Once the celebrations fizzled out, it was time to face the challenges ahead and he urged people to work together.

"There are some tough adventures ahead but our slogan was that together everything is possible. We will now translate this into practice to bring out the potential of everyone," he said, thanking all those who had expressed trust in his leadership.

"Our country has a lot to be proud of. It's true there are times when we argue in political debates but we're strong enough so that once we surpass those moments we're able to unite and bring out the best from each and every one of us.

"I want to thank my family who stood alongside me in these important moments and I hope to continue giving my contribution till the last drop of my energy to see the country moving forward."

Dr Fenech Adami said it was his pleasure to bestow this important role on a person who had won the election in a democratic process.

"If there was ever a time when we saw the people deliberate at length on how to cast their vote, in a way that led to a final decision of who has a majority - a very narrow majority - this was it. The result confirms how a democratic system works when you have a mature electorate," he said, expressing confidence in Dr Gonzi to lead a united country.

After Sunday's long wait to learn the result, the Nationalist Party was ushered into power for a third consecutive time with a relative majority of 49.34 per cent of the ballots cast, an advantage of merely 1,580 votes.

The tight result was certainly no damper on the crowd gathered outside the Palace, waiting to cheer their Prime Minister.

The weather masters in the heavens above got the timing wrong because as the grand doors to the Palace balcony opened for Dr Gonzi and his family to greet the crowd, it started to drizzle and strong gusts of winds threatened to snatch the umbrellas and PN flags.

Despite the elements, the crowd spontaneously burst into loud clapping and chants of "Gonzi, Gonzi" and "Eddie, Eddie", as a cacophony of horns reverberated through Palace Square and firecrackers were let off.

The crowd was slightly smaller than usual because, after taking the day off on Monday, few had the luxury of skipping another day of work, even though hundreds still managed to swing it by leaving early.

Present for the swearing-in ceremony were Chief Justice Vincent De Gaetano, Attorney General Silvio Camilleri and Civil Service head Godwin Grima.

Dr Gonzi's children David and his wife Melanie, Mikela and her husband Joe Smith La Rosa and Paul and his girlfriend Berta Pisani Bencini stood on the side watching on with pride.

Simon Busuttil and Richard Cachia Caruana, who were instrumental in devising the PN's strategy for the campaign, were also present together with PN general secretary Joe Saliba and PN information director Gordon Pisani, among many others.

When Dr Gonzi finally emerged from the Palace with his wife and family at 5.30 p.m., the sun's weak rays shone through and the rain stopped, allowing the group the unique chance to walk back to Castille along Republic Street.

Embracing Mrs Gonzi, who has been his pillar of support throughout the campaign, the two walked hand in hand, shaking hands with the well-wishers who leaned over the barriers that lined the street to hug them both.

The climax was reached in Castille Square as Dr Gonzi walked up the steps to Auberge de Castille, his office for the next five years, to thunderous applause.